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Commissioners proclaim March 2025 Red Cross Month after volunteers outline local services
Summary
The Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation recognizing March as Red Cross Month in Centre County and heard a presentation describing local Red Cross volunteer activity, blood drives and home‑fire work.
The Board of Commissioners adopted Proclamation No. 7, proclaiming March 2025 as Red Cross Month in Centre County and invited representatives of the Central Pennsylvania Red Cross to summarize their local services.
Gary Langsdale, a Spring Mills resident and member of the Central Pennsylvania Red Cross board, told commissioners that since July 1 Red Cross volunteers from Centre County have responded to six large‑scale disasters in addition to house fires, and that volunteers helped install smoke detectors and supported blood drives. Langsdale said the organization collected 4,407 units of blood in Centre County since July 1, and that Red Cross volunteers had helped 106 households through the Home Fire Campaign.
Melinda Rosario, identified in the meeting as the Red Cross community disaster program manager for the region, said the chapter covers a wide territory and that volunteers deliver immediate disaster aid, short‑term recovery support and education programs such as first‑aid and CPR classes. Rosario said Centre County is now served by a slightly different internal Red Cross coverage area but that services and volunteer support remain available to every community every day.
"Our help is free every single day, and we want to be able to provide that help to folks," Rosario said. She urged local fire departments and community organizations to refer residents after fires and to invite Red Cross education programs for schools and civic groups.
The commissioners voted to adopt the proclamation by voice vote. After the motion carried, the board invited the Red Cross representatives for photographs and additional remarks about volunteer recruitment and local training programs.
Why it matters: The presentation highlighted local volunteer activity, blood‑drive partnerships with Penn State, home‑fire interventions and availability of free first‑aid and CPR training — services the Red Cross said are available to residents and local emergency responders.
The board moved and seconded the proclamation and approved it by voice vote with no recorded roll‑call.
